Doing backcountry backpacking in Yosemite comes with challenges. The first one we got out of the way way back in the beginning of March: Permits! We applied for a few of the good looking trailheads, and after a round of no luck, got a permit for White Wolf Trailhead. This would allow us to start there, and then to roam the park for basically as long as the food on our backs would last.

Mapped out a loop starting at White Wolf, going to Ten Lakes, McGee Lake, then down the Tuolumne River to Pate Valley, then back up to White Wolf. Will be 48 miles of backcountry stuff over 5ish days.

Having taken care of administrative stuff and traveled to SLC, things are about to get serious.

For a few days now we’ve been getting our stuff together, getting Turmeric a shiny new bear can (another park stipulation), and packing up an unreasonable amount of oatmeal (we prepared 70 ziplocks of fancy PB-choccy-oats shared between Turmeric and me).

So today we started the long drive over to California. Some 570 miles through mostly the Nevada desert. Starting going west over the salt flats, then entering Nevada and a new time zone. Many miles over empty highways, great views of the desert, National Forests, long stretches, going straight as an arrow, then winding roads over lonely mountain ranges.

With the waning sun we entered California and were greeted by great views of Mono Lake. Took advantage of BLM land just before the park junction and set up the big car camping tent for the night.

Next day we’d enter the park, and then the adventure will begin for real.